John Olejnik/photos by the author except as noted
The Jersey Arrow is a type of electric multiple unit (EMU) railcar initially developed for the Pennsylvania Railroad, and used through successive commuter operators in New Jersey, through to NJ Transit. Three models were built, but only the third model is still in use today. The series is similar to SEPTA’s Silverliner series, but include center doors, among other differences in details.
The first group, designated Arrow-I, were 35 stainless steel cars numbered 100-134, built by the St. Louis Car Company for the New Jersey DOT Commuter Operating Agency in 1968 for operation by Penn Central between New York, Jersey Avenue (New Brunswick), Trenton and South Amboy. They ran in service from 1968 to 1980.The second group of Jersey Arrows, designated Arrow-II, were built by General Electric in 1974. This group of 70 cars was built as married pairs to replace aging PRR MP54s, which were finally phased out of New Jersey service in late 1977.
ABOVE: Eastbound Arrow-IIIs enter New Providence station, the last stop on their eastbound shuttle run to Summit on Sunday, February 9, 2025. The view is from the Springfield Avenue overpass. – John Olejnik
The third and current version of Arrows, Arrow-III, were built by General Electric 1997-98, and operate on all NJ Transit electrified routes. These consist of 200 cars built as married pairs (1334–1533) and 30 single cars (1304–1333). This last batch was intended for operation on the former Erie Lackawanna (nee-DL&&W) electrified lines, but they initially ran on former PRR/PC electrified lines noted above, due to the long delay in the EL/NJDOT re-electrification project from 3000v DC to 25kv AC, finally accomplished in 1984. The Arrow-IIs served from 1974 to 1997. Due to the lack of an automatic transformer voltage transfer mechanism, the Arrow-IIIs cannot switch between line voltages while in service. To prevent confusion, a triangular orange sticker is affixed under the front window of each car, with the voltage the unit is set to: “12K” for the Newark Division, and “25K” for the Hoboken Division.
Arrow-IIIs operating on the Hoboken Division (former DL&W) cannot operate onto the Northeast Corridor because of this voltage differential, thus locomotive-hauled trainsets of Multilevel coaches are operated by NJ Transit on its “MidTown Direct” services from former DL&W stations.
ABOVE: A standard weekend three-car Summit-Gladstone shuttle crosses the Millington Trestle over the Passaic River on Sunday, December 21, 2025. Nearby contractor road work has temporarily turned the area behind the photographer into a mess, but tree and brush clearing has opened up the shot from Pond Hill Road. – Tom Nemeth
Arrow III Upgrades
The Arrow-IIIs were given a mid-life overhaul between 1992 and 1995 by contractor ABB. NJ Transit awarded a contract to Bombardier (now Alstom) in December 2018 for 113 new electric multiple unit coaches, designated Multilevel-III; 58 units with AC electric propulsion systems and 55 unpowered trailer cars. This contract includes options for up to 636 more cars for NJ Transit. New Multilevel-III EMUs built by Alstom will feature passenger amenities including USB ports, 2×2 seating, and higher speeds, with phased rollouts expected through 2027-2028…
